In his last week as Honolulu's 32nd fire chief, those who worked most closely with Attilio Leonardi said he will be remembered as someone whose accomplishments are indicative of a driven individual and a focused leader.

But his empathy in dealing with fellow firefighters will be missed most.

"What made him special was that when we had labor problems or personnel problems, you could tell from dealing with him that it was more than just bodies and numbers with him," said Bobby Lee, president of the Hawai'i Fire Fighters Association, who is stationed in Waipahu. "He looked at the issues in a very compassionate way and treated firefighters like people."

Yesterday, Leonardi officially passed command of the department to Kenneth G. Silva.

Flanked by the mayor and retiring Deputy Chief John Clark, and backed by an honor guard, Leonardi thanked the Honolulu fire commission for selecting him, and his men for supporting him.

"It's been an honor and a privilege to lead this department and serve the people of the City and County of Honolulu," he said. "Because of everyone's help here I can leave the department with a sense of fulfillment."

Leonardi then picked up the fire chief's speaking trumpet, an ornate, silver instrument forged in 1867, and handed it to Silva, completing the transfer of command of the more than 1,000-person department.

Last week, he sat in his office and looked at bare walls where awards and mementos of 35 years spent saving the city once hung. Having packed all of his things, he reflected on his time with the department during an interview with The Advertiser.

"I'm too young to retire. I have too much juice left. I have a wife, four children and seven grandchildren so I have some catching up to do," he said, smiling. "I'm used to going 100 miles per hour every day. I'll take a little time off, step back, and then I'm going to go out in the big, bad world."

One of the experiences he said he will miss most is working with people every day to resolve a list of pressing issues. The list changed daily, he said, as with any other business, but the rush of getting it all done and doing it right was well worth the time and effort.

In all, Leonardi spent 16 years as an HFD administrator.

"I found it just as exciting as fighting fires. I love to juggle a lot of things going on. You don't stay here (in administration) that long if you don't enjoy it," he said. "I like my job. It's seven days a week. There are functions and emergencies at all times."

Leonardi insists the only way to keep a fire department running is to continually keep up with the latest advancements in techniques, training and equipment. During his time in office, Leonardi made it a priority to attend, send delegates, or glean information from conventions and meetings.

"Keeping up with what's going on nationally and being prepared for whatever happens here is critical," he said.

It was out of one of these conferences that the department's Public Information Office was born.

Leonardi attended a conference in Washington and heard a presentation about a Mainland department's implementation of a similar program. Upon returning to Honolulu, he dispatched now-retired firefighter Richard Soo to train with the Mainland department.

Soo became the department's first full-time public information officer, revolutionizing the exchange of information between the Fire Department, the news media and the public.

Today the department employs two-full time PIOs and distributes their cell phone numbers openly. Both firefighters, Capt. Emmit Kane and Capt. Kenison Tejada, field queries and provide information seven days a week. No other first responder in the state has a PIO as accessible as the Fire Department.

"The PIO program has had a huge impact on the HFD and our public image," he wrote in a farewell letter to his men. "We created this program to market our department as a business, to inform the public of the many great things our firefighters do on a daily basis, and to educate the community on fire safety issues. Because of the PIO we are recognized as the best of the best. We are heroes in Hawai'i."

Leonardi was the first fire chief to be selected by the Honolulu Fire Commission, a panel aimed at removing politics from the selection process. The commission was created when voters approved a City Charter amendment in November 1996.

Previously, Honolulu's mayor picked the fire chief while the City Council had confirmation authority.

"He was the first chief selected by the first fire commission and we're very proud of that," said Sandra Au Fong, a commission member. "It was a wonderful process and he was the best man for the job and he really proved that over the eight years he was chief. He had a lot of energy. I don't know how he accomplished all the things he did. He made it look so easy but it took a lot of work. It was wonderful working with him."

Leonardi guided the department through a national accreditation process, solidifying HFD as only the 120th accredited department out of more than 32,000 nationwide.

After the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, he made sure the department understood its role as it shifted from exclusively a first responder to the dual duties of handling emergencies and securing the homeland.

Two issues that Leonardi did not see through is the enactment of a total ban on fireworks, starting with the Fourth of July, and the retrofitting of all residential high-rises with sprinkler systems. Despite numerous legislative pushes and several pleas to lawmakers, no definitive action outside of the formation of a task force to look into the sprinkler issue, has happened.

"Just because I'm leaving doesn't mean the issue goes away. Chief Silva is very familiar with the (sprinkler and fireworks) issues and said he is continuing to pursue it," he said.

"Few personnel witnessed first-hand your tireless efforts to accomplish these tasks as well as the many others you undertook," wrote Alvin Tomita, who was promoted yesterday to deputy chief, in a letter to Leonardi. "They may never realize the personal sacrifice it took to get the appropriate education, training and knowledge to get the job done. Mahalo for your tenacity and drive."

Reach Peter Boylan at pboylan@honoluluadvertiser.com.